Hey .... have an old Compaq desktop and went to use it the other day and everything was off, tried re-starting and it starts then shuts down after 3 seconds, no beeps. Samsung monitor is black out tried on another working computer and monitor won't light .... is there anyway to check what could have happened ? .... could the video on the motherboard have gone and taken out the monitor or vise vera ? ... appreciate any information.

How old? More than 5 years? More than 10? Best to list the specs of the system, for a better idea of any problem causes.
First check the status of the BIOS battery. With the AC power lead pulled, check the battery voltage in-circuit. A digital meter is preferred. The top of the battery should be marked with a "+" sign, and any bare chassis point such as metal shields or a black lead terminal is negative. Should show a +3 volt level, if lower than 2.8 volts it is at its end of life. Typical life is about 3~4 years, depending on use. It is only a backup for when no AC power enters the PSU and the PSU provides a +5 volt stand-by source for BIOS/CMOS and USB circuits. The real-time clock is part of this circuit also, and if not functioning, the motherboard may not show any activity!
Replace the battery, reset the BIOS pages and it should be ready for use. First signs of a BIOS battery dying are the date and time wandering off.
Could also be a case of capacitors going bad. Look at all the capacitors on the motherboard.. if any show domed tops, lean excessively, or exhibit signs of leaking, they are bad. More info at www.badcaps.net/ .
As to the monitor being damaged by the system video, very unlikely. Testing the monitor on another known-good system will reveal its status. With flat-screen monitors, there are thin fluorescent lamps behind the bezel, which give the screen its illumination. They have a finite life, like any other fluorescent lamp. Those lamps are powered by a small inverter board, and it too can go bad. Try connecting the monitor to a known-active video source, with motion graphics. Shine a flashlight into the screen, and note if any activity. If so, then bad lamps or inverter. But the monitor has a power LED indicator that should be green if an input signal is good, amber if no signal. What status do you have?

The computer is a Compaq Presario 6000 about 9 years old, checked the battery and reads 3.02 volts .... the monitor is a Samsung 930b and the green light is on when turned on and off you can see a very dim ghost for a second or so, I hooked the monitor to a working computer and still no signal this is why I'm thinking the monitor toasted the comp. or vise versa, just don't seem right for the both to stop working at the same time, when both worked fine a week earlier with no problems with the monitor being dim. If I move some wires "around the power supply" in the comp. starts then off in 3 secs. move wires again and it will re-start but not stay running. I disconnected the Dvd drives but still no difference and more ideas ? ...

First of all: are you sure you didn't have a thunderstorm recently? Any voltage spikes WILL kill your stuff. I say this because it is highly unusual to have both computer and monitor fail at the same time.

That is most likely a MS-6553 motherboard in there with (O)ST Chssi and/or G-LUXON capacitors which will fail over time.

If there is a Bestec power supply in there, there's good chance that has blown, if it did it may have killed both your motherboard and your monitor in one go.

Thanks for the info. no storms but thought the same maybe a electrical problem, I have three other computers I leave on all the time they are fine. I check the caps. and all look good and straight and no bulged tops as for the monitor I didn't rip that apart YET I've never had one apart before like the computer. I guess after 9 yrs. it's that again to go new. Thanks again for the Info.

Monitor housings are held together with a few small screws.. and many "latch" tabs. You would need a set of long-shank screwdrivers, maybe even some Torx types.. and a thin parting tool, such as an old flexible knife blade or small putty knife. Snicking the parting tool in the separation slot should allow those "latch" tabs to release, and no damage. But be wary inside a monitor.. the fluorescent tubes will pack a nasty shock, if you touch the wrong connections!! LCD monitors don't die like CRT types do.. but the backlight system is the major flaw. The shops that once did monitor repair are now as rare as Dodos.

evasive wrote:First of all: are you sure you didn't have a thunderstorm recently? Any voltage spikes WILL kill your stuff. I say this because it is highly unusual to have both computer and monitor fail at the same time.

That is most likely a MS-6553 motherboard in there with (O)ST Chssi and/or G-LUXON capacitors which will fail over time.

If there is a Bestec power supply in there, there's good chance that has blown, if it did it may have killed both your motherboard and your monitor in one go.

With older dial-up modems, the chance of a lightning strike causing damage to a PC is possible, 10 miles away or more! Telephone cables are not shielded in the same manner as a CATV service setup. With DSL service, a PC is more isolated from direct input of spikes. But still susceptible. The user interface would absorb some of the damage first. Same with CATV connections. While all data and voice lines into any residence are required to have lightning/surge arrest features, only so much of the full charge is suppressed. Some may still pass through to the user's equipment.